[Before I launch into today’s post, I wanted to thank everyone for their kind wishes for poor, accident-prone Elsie! Our Number One* Girl is doing much better, thanks–still limping a little, but infinitely less than that first scary evening. While her gait has improved, her mood hasn’t quite, as she has to stay behind with boring Mum every morning while Dad and Chaser go romp in the park. But one more week, and she’ll be on the walking trail again, too. 🙂 ]
Remember when you were a kid and you yearned to have the same toys (or clothes, or packed lunches) that all of your friends had? And in an effort to teach you deferred gratification, your parents would respond to your imploring by saying, “And if Susie’s parents let her jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you want to, too?” In our house, it was different. If one of my sisters or I requested something that all of our friends already had, my parents’ perfunctory response was, “NO.” (My Dad’s idea of deferred gratification was “deferred until you can afford to pay for it yourself.” Hmm. May explain why I started babysitting at the ripe old age of eleven).
Since I could never cajole my parents into getting me what I wanted anyway, I developed a determination to stand apart from my friends and covet less popular items. I couldn’t very well not like The Monkees, of course (you couldn’t be a kid in the 60s and not like them), so I worshipped Mickey instead of Davy (totally radical, I know). Like all my friends, I bought (with my babysitting money) the sought-after designer jeans–you know the ones, that proclaimed their exclusivity loudly and clearly with a playing-card sized label just above the fanny cheek–and then I boldly cut off the label (can you imagine? I was so rebellious that way.).
In university, I inevitably fell for the slightly oddball character, someone who, let’s imagine, had been born to a French hooker in Sudbury, had been orphaned at age 12, had raised their younger sister on their own, had worked as a miner and was now studying to be a customs officer. Oh, wait. That actually was my first boyfriend. Later on, I fell for the boyish charms and rapier wit of Rocker Guy (he of the black leather pants). And let’s not forget the HH, the human synthesis of artist genius and science geek, man of few words (and most of those requiring a dictionary to understand), reluctant dog dad turned canine caretaker extraordinaire, and simultaneously the smartest, funniest, and most eccentric human being I’ve ever met.
The food-blog world has its own trends, too. For a while there, kale chips were (or maybe still are!) all the rage. There was a time when I felt as if faux tuna salad was on almost every blog I read. Or how about the now-ubiquitous cake pops? And where would we be, tell me, without almond butter-laced porridge? (One of my favorite trends, though not about food per se, was the “blog meme.” When I was tagged for the “25 Random Things About Me” meme, I got carried away and wrote 101 things. As I mentioned at the time, I guess that will take care of the meme for a while!).
Well, when I saw Mihl’s recipe for Yeasted Zucchini Pie with Herbed Pepita Cream Cheese Filling [original no longer available on her blog], my ten year-old self was resurrected and I immediately thought, “I want that, too! Yum!!” Clearly, with its hunter green shellac and creamy alabaster interior, zucchini is the hipster veg on the culinary scene for August, 2010. And the ingenious mix of ingredients in Mihl’s distinctive filling fulfilled my inner desire for creative departure from the norm.
Since the crust was yeast-based, I knew immediately that I couldn’t make it as originally presented. However, I had seen a quiche a while back with a shredded potato crust and thought that would pair brilliantly with the herby filling.
After preparing the crust, I discovered that I was out of firm tofu, so used MoriNu as the stand-in (just to be different, I suppose). It worked beautifully, resulting in a slightly creamy, slightly grainy filling with a subtly sour undertone, like ricotta or cottage cheese. The inclusion of basil worked beautifully with the ground pepitas. And while I loved the trendy design formed by the zucchini slices atop the pie, I think that next time, I’ll simply chop the zucchini and fold it into the cheesy mixture before baking, both for convenience and for a more varied texture.
The finished pie reminded me of savory cottage cheese pies my mother used to make–rustic, hearty, and reminscent of late afternoons in the country. Paired with a simple Caesar salad, it made a pleasing meal as the HH and I sat at the kitchen table bathed in incandescent glow of late summer, shimmering interstices of sunlight peeking through the shutters.
“Well, it’s a bit unusual, but it’s good,” the HH remarked. Takes one to know one, I thought–and just kept on eating.
* in the sense of, “the one that preceded Number Two (Number Two being Chaser) and not in the sense of, “the one we like the best.” Of course I could never favor one of my Girls over the other–duh!
Zucchini Pie with Potato Crust (ACD Stage 2 and beyond)
adapted from this recipe at Seitan is My Motor
Crust:
2 pounds (900 g) red-skinned potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp (30 ml) finely ground flax meal
2 Tbsp (30 ml) chickpea flour
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable broth or stock
Filling:
1/2 cup (60 g) pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
2 cloves garlic
3 green onions, cut in chunks
1/3 cup (15 g) lightly packed chopped fresh basil
1 package (12 oz or 375 g) extra firm silken tofu (such as MoriNu)
6 Tbsp (90 ml) vegetable broth or stock
1 Tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt
1 tsp (5 ml) granulated onion or onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2.5 ml) smoked paprika, to your taste
2 tsp (10 ml) light miso
2 tsp (10 ml) dijon mustard (for ACD stage one, use 1 tsp / 5 ml mustard powder)
1/8 tsp (.5 ml) ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chickpea or garfava flour
Pepper, to taste
2 medium zucchini, washed, trimmed and sliced
Olive oil, if desired
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line a 10 inch (25.5 cm) tart pan with parchment and spray sides, or spray with nonstick spray.
Prepare the crust: place potato chunks in boiling water and boil just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to cool completely, then grate the potatoes and place in a large bowl.
To the bowl, add the flax, chickpea flour,salt and broth and mix well with your hands. Using the back of a rubber spatula or a 1/3 cup (80 ml) measuring cup, press the potato mixture evenly into the bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the top is dry. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350F (180C).
Meanwhile, make the filling: In the bowl of a food processor, blend the pumpkin seeds, garlic, green onion and basil until you have a paste. Add remaining filling ingredients except for zucchini and olive oil and process again until smooth. If desired, roughly chop the zucchini and fold into the filling at this point. Pour over the crust and smooth the top.
If using zucchini slices, arrange them over the filling in a decorative fashion. If desired, brush with olive oil.
Bake in preheated 350F (180C) oven 50-60 minutes, rotating the pie about halfway through, until the crust is browned and the zucchini has begun to brown. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings. May be frozen.
Suitable for: ACD All stages; refined sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, nut free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.
Disclosure: Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using those links, at no cost to you, I will receive a small percentage of the sale.
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Apparently, that zucchini pie is made to go with unusual crusts! That potato crust sounds great, and the whole thing must be awesome. Now, I’m looking forward to trying both Mihl’s and your version. 🙂
Zucchini is my second favorite thing about summer (watermelon being the first, of course 🙂 ) and I cannot wait to try your recipe! It sounds fantastic…the filling looks perfect.
Thank you!
Courtney
This is certainly a unique pie! I do love zucchini – a lot – but I’d have to come up with some alternative to the tofu. Hmm…wonder if pureed beans would stand up?
Ricki, this looks so fabulous! I wish I could eat tofu! Brilliant. xoxo Kim
Looks delish. You are so funny…when I first watched the Monkees, I was all about Michael Nesmith! So what does that say about me??? When I watched it as a teenager, then I was all about Mickey. Davy Jones just never did it for me (though I saw him perform The Brady Bunch episode live, and he was very cute). I might have to get the Monkees on DVD now.
What a gorgeous dish, RIcki! I wish I could hop through my computer screen right now and eat that zucchini pie right off your plate. Or, better yet, you could come to my kitchen and make me my very own. This is definitely going on my ‘must make’ list.
Looks great, never would have thought to use potato in a crust…great idea!
Josiane,
I thought Mihl’s version looked spectacular–must be why I had to make it so quickly! 🙂
Courtney,
Ah, now I miss watermelon! 😉 The filling was really yummy (and those crispy potato edges, too). 🙂
Alta,
I bet pureed beans would be fine, but you might have to thin them out with a touch more liquid. . . and I’d up the flax a bit, too. 🙂
Kim,
I know tofu can be a problem for some people. . . I’m lucky I can still have it!
Tiffany,
Well, Mike was the smartest one, for sure! But no, Davy never did it for me, either. And DVDs?? Oh, I must get them now!!
Jodye,
Well, we’ve got lots left over here. . . hop on over! 😉
Pure2raw twins,
It actually worked really well for a crust. Just have to be sure to bake it enough before adding the filling.
This looks so yummy- do you reckon I could sub sunflower seeds for the pumpkin seeds? I want to make this today but they’re the only seeds I have at home right now…
Emma, yes, I’m sure you could use sunflower seeds without much problem. The color will be different and the taste a wee bit different, but I’m sure it will still be yummy! 🙂
It turned out perfectly! I put lots of basil in and folded some chopped zucchini in with the filling so even with sunflower seeds it stayed a little bit green 🙂 The potato crust is great too, I loved the chewy edges.
Didn’t realise it would make so much, I’m freezing the rest in slices for easy suppers.
Thank you for the recipe!
Yay!! Yes, I was surprised at how substantial the pieces were, too–mine’s also chillin’ in the freezer! 😉
Micky? Not Davey? You’ve got to be kidding! I did grow up on re-runs (the day my uncle told me the Monkeys had disbanded I was distraught and cried the entire afternoon – I was 5). You are a trail blazer!
This pie sounds so yum, and we have so much zucchini gifted upon us, I hope I can give it a whirl!
Yum! Bookmarked…
So glad that Elsie is on the up and up. There is not much in life that is more heartbreaking than a hurt pup. Sending along another round of healing thoughts for good measure!
potato crust? genius 🙂 glad elsie’s doing better!
Shellyfish,
Yes, Mickey. Maybe it was the curly hair (that I never had). 😉 This was a great way to use the zucchini! 🙂
Shayne,
Thanks so much (and Elsie thanks you, too). 🙂
Shannon,
It seemed to work! And Elsie says, “Woof!” 😉
I have to try this crust recipe, I love that it’s gluten free!
Different is good if it adds interest and texture esp when applied to something that is a bit ho hum!
When I first saw this pie I thought it might be a bit like the zucchini slice my mum used to make a lot but I knew it would be interesting to see how you attacked it – actually I think it is a little different but still looks delicious
I did a double take when you mentioned the life of your first boyfriend – stranger than fiction – you can still surprise with little life facts even after I have been reading your blog for years! I am sure you added a bit of interest to your ex’s life story
Johanna,
I hadn’t realized that “slice” applied to both savory and sweet dishes. And yes, my ex-boyfriend’s life was definitely stranger than fiction! And NO, I did NOT add any details or embellish in any way–that was actually his real life!! Last I heard, he was, indeed, a customs officer at the Detroit/Windsor border and had gotten married. He was an incredibly motivated and sweet person. I’d love to chat with him again some day!
Mandee,
the crust was one of my favorite parts! (Oh, wait they were all my favorite. . . ) 😉
Ricki, I love your stroll down memory lane. I, too, was babysitting my little buns off at the age of 11. My Dad had a very similar philosophy. Funny, I was babysitting very small babies at that age. Nowadays, I would never let an 11 year old babysit my newborn. hehe
That recipe looks divine. Another perfect way to get my kids to eat their zucches!!! Also like how you and Emma mention that it is good for leftovers and freezing. I like to stock my freezer up with hearty dishes now that school is back in and we are a lot busier with activities.
That is beautiful! I can’t get over the potato crust, I definitely need to try that soon. Thanks for including me in your roundup 🙂
You are awesome, Ricki! I love your alternative crust. It sounds really wonderful.
looks amazing. really like this crust idea!
This pie looks yummy! I love that you used a potato crust. I need to try that again. I forgot to tell you that I had made a typo in my post (now corrected) and that yes I do agree that the sweet harvest muffins are sweet and not savoury. 🙂 Mmm I need to make them again soon. I just made the maple millet muffins too. (SO GOOD! They are actually exactly the kind of muffin I’ve been looking for with a bit of a gingerbread-y taste and I love the crunchy millet).
Wow this looks so cool! It looks like special occasion holiday food.
Your fur-faced friend wil get better…this guy was confined to a crate for a month after he broke his leg, and then no intense activity for a while. It was hard…
And I can’t wait to try the zuccini pie.
Thanks for an amazing recipe. We made it with tomatoes!
Can you use sweet potatoes instead of the potatoes?
You could certainly try it that way, GiGi, but I am guessing that it would contain more moisture in that case, so you might have to reduce the liquid. I’ve never tried it with sweet potatoes. If you do, let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Ricki what could you use instead of Tofu and also would almond meal work in place of chickpea flour if not any other suggestions
Jenny, in this particular recipe, tofu really makes up the base of the filling, so it would require a bit of work and testing to come up with another option that would produce the same taste and texture or better. It’s something I might work on this summer! As for the almond sub for chickpea flour, you could certainly use it, but the chickpea flour actulaly helps the crust to bind together, so it would be less solid without it. Hope that helps!